Are you also among other fitness enthusiasts struggling to build bigger and more muscular biceps and looking for some effective workouts but constantly failing on that footing? Then you have come to the right place.
Building bigger and thicker arms is a dream for many bodybuilders. Some are not much into bodybuilding but want to get sculpted arms and upper body. Also, sculpting your arms has more than one benefit.
But you can only achieve your goals with the right types of workouts, and a proper exercise routine can bring the best results.
You can find various upper body and arm exercises to build your arms. But there is no doubt that dumbbells are the best solution for arm strengthening or sculpting.
Most bodybuilding experts and gym trainers prefer dumbbell workouts to grow sculpted and dense arms. So, if you are also interested in sculpting your arms, keep reading.
Here, we will discuss arm workouts with dumbbells to shape your arms.
Benefits of Toning and Strength Training Your Arms
For many people, arm workouts are for strengthening the upper body and improving the physique. But you will be amazed to learn that an arm exercise routine offers much more than the above.
Also, different types of arm workouts have their unique benefits. So, we will have a quick look at the benefits of doing arm workouts with dumbbells before jumping into the workout portion-
1. Sculpted Arms
Sculpted arms are the most popular benefit of doing arm workouts. Toning your arms helps to keep it in the right shape. You can also build your arm muscles according to your wish.
Also, you can get the perfect biceps and triceps with the arm workouts you have been dreaming of. Who would not love sculpted arms with big biceps and triceps? You can get well-defined and muscular arms with arm workouts and toning.
2. Improved Upper Body Look
Another crucial benefit of doing arm exercises is it helps to improve your upper body physique. When you do arm workouts with dumbbells or other equipment, it also works to bring your neck, back, and chest muscles into shape.
As a result, you get an improved upper body stretcher with dense muscle and a toned body. Some exercises like dumbbell lateral raise, dumbbell back curl, or press help improve your upper body physique and strengthen your arms.
3. Better Upper Body Strength
Doing regular arm workouts can improve your upper body strength. When you perform regular arm workouts, it strengthens your arms and other body muscles (especially the upper body) connected with your arms.
It helps to work your upper body muscles and joints. As a result, you get a stronger upper body and arms.
4. Higher Metabolism
We all know doing regular strengthening exercises keeps us healthy and improves metabolism. Exercises like arm workouts with dumbbells can boost your metabolism rate.
It helps to increase your resting metabolism rates so you can burn calories even when resting. These exercises are quite beneficial if you have a weight management goal to achieve.
5. Increased Bone Density
Lastly, regular muscle-strengthening exercises like arm workouts with dumbbells can help strengthen your bones. Strengthening exercises increase the mineral levels in your bones and make them stronger. Stronger bones mean you are less likely to have a bone injury or osteoporosis.
Best Dumbbell Workouts for Toned Arms
Using dumbbells for arm-strengthening exercises is quite popular. A lot of people prefer to do arm exercises with dumbbells. It is because arm workouts that include dumbbells are easy to perform regularly and effective.
Also, there are plenty of variations regarding dumbbell arm workouts. Below, we will list the best 13 arm workouts with dumbbells to tone your arms-
1. Shoulder Press
The shoulder press is one of the most popular and effective arm workouts that include dumbbells. It is also known as the military press that helps to strengthen your arms, shoulders, neck, upper back, and chest muscles.
For performing the shoulder press, follow the instructions below:
- Hold each dumbbell in one hand and stand straight with hips and feet wide apart. Now, lift both your arms until they are lining with your shoulder in a straight line. Then bend your elbow to 90°.
- Now, tighten your core and push the dumbbells overhead while exhaling slowly.
- Pause for 2 seconds, extending your hands straight up. Also, ensure your elbows are not locked.
- Now, slowly inhale and lower your hands back to your sides. Pause and repeat.
2. Chest Press
Another arm workout that includes dumbbells is the chest press. The chest press is also one of the most effective arm workouts with dumbbells to sculpt your arm and upper body.
It targets the muscles of your chest, shoulders, and triceps. To perform a chest press, follow these steps:
- Lie on the weight bench or floor mat with both your knees bent and your feet on the ground.
- Hold dumbbells with your palms with an overhead grip. Face them away from you.
- Lift the dumbbells at the height of your shoulder. Position them just outside of your chest. Bent your elbow. Take a deep breath, tighten your core, and push the dumbbells upwards together. Exhale as you press the dumbbells, extending your hands straight without locking the elbow.
- Pause and squeeze your chest muscles.
- Bend your elbows slowly, lowering the weight back.
3. Dumbbell Front Raise
Dumbbell front raise helps to strengthen your chest, arm, and shoulder. It is one of the easiest arm workouts with dumbbells you can try at home. Follow the instructions to do the dumbbell front raise:
- Keep your head and neck neutral and stand with your feet and hips wide apart.
- Use an overhead grip on your dumbbells. Hang your arms in a straight line with your thighs.
- Raise your dumbbells slowly in front of you while exhaling. Keep a light bend at the elbow and raise your arms until they parallel the ground.
- Pause and hold for some seconds. Focus on squeezing your shoulder muscles.
- Lower your arms slowly while inhaling.
4. Dumbbell Lateral Raise
If you are looking for some quick and effective arm workouts with dumbbells, you can try dumbbell lateral raises. It works your tricep, shoulder, and back muscles. Here is how you can do the dumbbell lateral raise:
- Stand on the ground with hips and feet wide apart. Hold each dumbbell using your palm.
- Maintain an upright posture with a tight core.
- Raise your hands, holding the dumbbells slowly while exhaling. Raise until they parallel the floor in a straight line. Maintain a slight bent on the elbow during the raise.
- Hold and squeeze your shoulder muscles.
- Slowly inhale and lower your arms back to the previous state.
5. Bent Over Rows
Bent-over rows arm workout focuses on your upper body and arm muscles like the back, forearms, biceps, and shoulders. To do bent-over rows, follow the given steps for the best possible results:
- Stand, keeping your hips and feet wide apart with knees slightly bent. Extend your arms shoulder width apart, holding each dumbbell with your palms facing each other.
- Bend your upper body forward at a 45° angle ( take a deep breath).
- Pull the dumbbells slowly upwards to the sides of your chest as much as possible while exhaling. Keep your wrist stable.
- Lower the weight while inhaling. Keep the bent-over position until you are back to the previous state.
6. Bicep Curls
Looking for some arm workouts with dumbbells that focus on the biceps? Then, it would be best if you tried the bicep curls. Bicep curls focus on sculpting bicep muscles and the mid-upper arm muscles.
To do the bicep curls, follow the below-listed steps to get your biceps in the perfect shape:
- Keep your shoulders wide apart and stand on your feet. Use an underhand grip to hold your dumbbells at your sides. Remember to keep your palms upward.
- Tighten your core and keep your arms close to your sides.
- Curl your dumbbells up towards your shoulder while exhaling.
- Keep curling until you feel a contraction in your bicep muscles and your forearms are closely vertical.
- Pause and hold on to the position for a while.
- Slowly lower your dumbbells while inhaling. Extend your arms as much as possible and straighten your elbows.
7. Tricep Kickbacks
Tricep kickbacks are also popular arm workouts with dumbbells that trigger your tricep muscles and the back muscles of your upper arm. Here is how to do tricep kickbacks:
- Stand up on your feet, tighten your core, and keep your shoulders wide apart.
- Use an overhand grip to hold the dumbbells on each hand. Bend your knees slightly forward to stay stable.
- Keep your back straight and hinge forward to parallel your body to the ground.
- Pull your upper arm towards your sides and exhale slowly. Bend your elbow at a 90° angle.
- Extend your arms slowly backward with control.
8. Tricep Extensions
Tricep extensions are also popular among arm workouts with dumbbells. The primary target of this arm workout is tricep muscles. Follow the given steps to execute the tricep extensions for the best possible result:
- Keep your back straight while standing on the ground/sitting on the weight bench.
- Hold the dumbbells in your hand and extend them above your head.
- Now, slowly bend your elbows to lower your dumbbells behind your head. Keep your upper arm perpendicular to the ground and dumbbell the back of your head.
- Tighten your core and slowly exhale as you push the dumbbells back to the straight-up position. And extend your elbow to the full length.
- Bend your elbows to lower the weight back of your head while inhaling.
9. Palms-Up Wrist Curls
All arm workouts with dumbbells have their specific target. The target of palms-up wrist curls is the forearm’s underside muscle. To do the palms-up wrist curls:
- Sit on a bench with a straight posture. Use an underhand grip to hold the dumbbells with palms facing upward.
- Rest your forearms on your thighs or bench support to keep the wrist beyond the knees.
- Curl up the dumbbells while keeping the forearm in its place.
- Hold for 1-2 seconds until you feel that muscle contraction.
- Lower the dumbbells back and inhale.
10. Palms-Down Wrist Curls
Like the palms-up, palms-down wrist curls are also useful for toning your arm muscles. It strengthens your forearms. For performing the palms-down wrist curls, you need to follow the given steps to get the results in the best possible manner:
- Sit on a bench, engage your core, and use an overhand grip to hold the dumbbells. Keep your palm’s face downwards.
- Rest your forearms similar to how you do for palms-up wrist curls.
- Lower your dumbbells while exhaling. Keep your forearm in position.
- Pause briefly and feel the stretch.
- Inhale slowly while reversing back.
11. Renegade Row
The renegade row is also one of the popular arm workouts with dumbbells. The renegade row targets the lats, rhomboids, and traps. Your erector spinae is also motivated as it works with your core to calm your body. To get the best possible result from the renegade row, follow these steps.
- Begin with a plank position, holding the dumbbell in both hands on the floor.
- Pull the dumbbell upwards until your wrist reaches the ribs.
- Pause briefly and return the weight to the floor.
- Repeat at least 3 times.
12. Dumbbell Floor Press
A floor dumbbell press is also beneficial for toning your arm muscles. It is more than just the bench press’s primitive cousin that helps as a core-attacking strength-building exercise. To do the dumbbell floor press –
- Lie down on the floor with your back. Keep your knees bent and feet on the floor.
- Hold your dumbbells in both hands and extend the arms over the shoulders with palms facing each other.
- Lower the weight slowly until your triceps touch the ground.
- Keep the elbows at a 45° angle with your body.
- Slowly reverse.
13. Rear Delt Fly
Rear delt fly is an effective arm workout that includes dumbbells. It targets the muscles of your arms, back, neck, and shoulder. To do the rear delt fly, follow the steps as detailed:
- Stand with feet and hip wide apart with the knee slightly bent over the knee. Hinge at your hip and hang your arms straight by holding dumbbells in each hand.
- Slowly raise your arms to your sides, keeping the elbow slightly bent, and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Slowly reverse with control.
Arm Workouts With Dumbbells: Takeaway
Arm workouts that include dumbbells are easy and most effective for shaping the shoulder and back, chest (upper body physique), and, most importantly, arms. You can practice them at home, the gym, or anywhere with minimal requirements.
Arm workouts have various advantages, from sculpting your arms, making them bigger, muscular, and dense to strengthening metabolism and bone density and improving upper body physique.
Also, you can find plenty of arm workouts that incorporate dumbbells. Above, we have covered the 13 best and most effective arm workouts with dumbbells that are easy to perform and highly effective.
So, bring out your favorite dumbbell sets and get ready to revamp your arms and upper body. Also, do not forget to share your experiences in the comments section below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does it Take to Get Perfectly Sculpted Arms?
We have discussed various arm workouts with dumbbells for perfectly sculpted arms. But you cannot expect to see results overnight. It usually takes at least 3 months to get toned arms, even with these exercises.
How Can I Get Toned Arms Quickly?
You can quicken the process of getting toned arms. For this, you must follow some tips and arm workouts with dumbbells. Increasing reps and decreasing weight can be helpful. You also can consider a protein-rich diet to get sculpted arms faster.
What are Some of the Best Arm Toning Exercises with a Dumbbell?
All of our discussed arm workouts with dumbbells are immensely effective. But we can name lateral raises, tricep kickbacks, rear delt fly, palms-up wrist curls, and bicep curls as some of the best arm toning exercises.
